cross blue shield announced the 10 cities will play host to "play streets," and not surprisingly san francisco has been designated as one of the cities. each city will host at least four play street events, by closing streets and opening them up for kids and families to be out and enjoy the public right-of-way in a different way than just passing through it. very much i akin to sunday streets. they will receive funds and technical assistance. an extension of the sunday street umbrella. probably much smaller than a big center street closure. we will work with neighborhoods to identify the ones they would like to us to close - we

had a discussion a few months back about being more friendly to these kinds of activities. that concludes my report. >> chairman nolan: members of the board, questions or comments? >> congratulations on the play street grant. i know this board and the public in general has shown his huge appetite for speeding up transit and director reiskin, -- getting to the on-time goal is challenging if not impossible. (off mic) (off mic) we are looking at expanding it in other areas to have transit running in a reliable and timely a manner as possible. >> chairman nolan: on the director support, any members of the public have comments? >> thank you for that.

first i would like to thank you for opening up stock industry. that's been a big problem for taxis and commuters. anybody who drives a car will love that. san francisco park - that has big-time rates, right? the bridge has peak time rates. hotels have peak time rates, called dinner-time. why not taxis? it was astonishing to me to find out that chris hyoshi did not know what the extra buttons on the meter were for. that can be set by time. same at 12 o'clock, who want to

discourage traffic. at eight in the morning the press can go up. we don't have to touch it. it's built into the system. you aren't aware of - why not taxis? if you want to catch a taxi you should stand in the corner not in front of hotels. some hotels operate illegally. drivers know that. my observation, i see lots of traffic being pushed over into two lanes, we have an open late for the buses, but no buses. and we have people waiting on the corner, packed, in every bus that goes by. we need more buses. that's an observation.

maybe it'll help the cad industry it will take pressure ,off. >> chairman nolan: we call item 11 and 12 together. people will have three minutes to speak on those. >> and you are speaking of the directors report? >> this report include speeding up travel time? >> no it does not. >> seen that there is no citizens advisory council report, moving to item 11, sections 11 03 and 11 16, on

the taxi medallion waiting list (reading from the agenda.) item 12 authorizing the director of transportation to establish a down payment assistance program for medallion transfers. >> chairman nolan: we have seen the presentation before. we can hear from the public now. >> secretary boomer: tera houseman, sam [indiscernible]. >> i think that it was not a wise decision to combine 11 and 12. what is the hurry? why are you going so headlong into forcing the future of 1300 people down the toilet before you get the report that they

several hundred thousand dollars for? this proposal throws a very expensive bone to 10% of the people on the waiting list. it says, screw you to the other 90%, all of whom have relied upon the structure the lives and future around the promise of the city of san francisco made to them over a decade ago. why the rush? there is no pressing need for this. you don't have to pass every single thing that comes before you the moment it comes before you. you can say no. as far as item 12, down payment assistance. frankly, people on the waiting list i could not come up with $15,000 the amount that the drivers are required to come up

with without several years notice. our incomes are not in that bracket. finally, congratulations. the crowd here is sparse because we know that we found through example that any pretense of honest process is strictly pro forma lip service; it's no longer were to show up. you get it shorter meeting. resolutions. >> i will like to highlight two points. i e-mailed you my proposal. the issue is the money that is needed for down payment assistance. and the proposal that staff recommended brings 22 million

500, and what i have proposed will bring 100 million for sure. if you extend the duration more than two years, -- for example in japan the cost of property is high. the loan goes beyond 30 years. you have the potential of getting 1 billion dollars; if you paying biweekly payments, the duration could be shorter. so my proposal which is $5 addition to shifts, is not going to hurt drivers much. for example i drive a car that burns gas, not a hybrid. i pay $25 more to gas up a shift. does not bother me that much. $5 per shift does not bother me that much, could bring 500

million to 1 billion. i am 62 years old. if i decide to pay this 150,000 to get a medallion, interest is low, 5.5 fixed rate, i will only pay 11,000 into it, then it will go higher. i will not be able to pay the my lifetime. the other point that i would like you to consider is that we had - i received a -- medallion. the requirement was to serve the disabled community for three years. i have finished that almost 7 years ago. and we have been given promises that you will get irregular medallion, swap it in 3-4

months, and another 3-4 months. the thing is, most of us that have wheelchair accessible taxis, we have done this on top of the waiting list. t we have done it at least five extra years. the price of wheelchair cabs is three-times as much; the cost of maintenance is three times as much. you ask these drivers, if you're empty, people flag a sedan with a passenger inside. >> chairman nolan: next speaker please. >> good afternoon. >> my name is richard beale,

i've been a cab driver for 21 years. also drove in boston before coming here. i am a -- for four years, number 34 in the waiting list. we are concerned about our fate. pending decisions by the sfmta, which will impact the future quality of life; currently the status of grant medallions are in limbo; they are not transferable. in order to maintain the current a income level until retirement we must continue to push wheelchairs up and on the ramp in the physically we may not be able to do so. the alternative for the rampt medallion holder is purchase a regular medallion for 150,000;

it is not prudent for someone who is six years old to take on the financial burden; it compromises our ability to save money for retirement. it is not like winning the lottery. we put in decades of her life into a stressful, dangerous, low-paying job, beginning of industry vital to the san francisco tourist industry. having a medallion is the only way we can hope to put funds away during the last 10-15 years of our working life. we serve the wheelchair community, providing paratransit service. a way can be found to recognize our past services that come from us in the financial interest of the sfmta. the prospect of future caps depends on the ability to

switch ramp medallion for regular medallions. the current ramp medallion will yield 100,000 a month to the sfmta. it should be recalled that during the pilot program, a regular medallion holder, some of whom had recently gotten them, sold them for 250,000. [indiscernible] we understand the need of the sfmta to secure income. >> chairman nolan: - thank you

sir. next speaker please. >> secretary boomer: i diane maleck. >> good afternoon, my name is [indiscernible], i have been living in san francisco for 29 years; i respectfully reject this proposal. i have been on the waiting list for almost 14 years. i send you my proposal. here is my proposal. to serve the public we don't need 24/7 cabs in san francisco; please issue 500 big-time medallion, for $50,000

each, it would generate 25 million for the sfmta. when the build of the business on the off-peak time we can work those medallions to the regular medallions for example 100 medallions a year during the course of five years without hurting the business. then you can work the peak time medallion for the regular medallion. then you put 500 peak time medallion, and then you will go to list of 1000 drivers on the medallion waiting list; those of the drivers waited 10 years or more on the waiting list. that way you can stop drivers taking legal action against the sfmta. directors, please help qualify

drivers in the medallion list. if you do so you will save many drivers retirement and families future. if you don't you are getting advantage of one group over another. i wonder why. you sold over 280 medallions. i am protesting that. [indiscernible] you gave 150-200 medallions to be leased directly to the cab companies; i'm protesting that. [indiscernible] ignoring drivers like me, who have been driving a cab for almost 24 years, and on the

waiting list for almost 14 years. i am protesting on everything that the sfmta is doing especially to the drivers on the waiting list. [indiscernible] >> chairman nolan: -- next speaker. >> peter kirby, ray [indiscernible] indsa [indiscernible] >> today members of the board. peter kirby, cab driver, 400 on the list. 397 to be specific. violation of the public trust. conflicts of interest. i think you all know what i'm

talking about. this board when it issued all these leased medallions to companies, you guys totally disregarded 30 years of voting history in the city of san francisco. the people of the city of san francisco one drivers to have medallions. that is called a violation of the public trust. conflict of interest. you guys are making quite a bit of money here by the things that you have passed. congratulations. only problem is that it's a little cognitive interest, made you guys tens of millions of dollars. that's what you all vote unanimously for all this stuff. i understand exactly who you people are.

you guys have flushed anything that any driver has tried to work with you down the toilet; you vote for all of your self-serving stuff you have no interest in providing quality service to the people of san francisco. your only interest is raising money for yourself. you have proven there is no working with you. the only thing we have left is to organize against you. that is why am organizing a ballot initiative, charter amendment the does two things: one, it takes all medallions leased to cab companies, and reverse them immediately to the list to be given out as earned medallions. secondly, it takes you guys out of the san francisco taxi cab

business; we need a new san francisco taxicab commission totally outside of this body. (applause) >> -- driving 20 years, position 200. i started driving 20 years ago as a cab driver; probably limit you guys remember. i started in the sunshine cab company. for the beginning, almost [indiscernible] ; last 20 years i paid 1.25 millon to the cab companies. i'm poor. now you have come with the

funny idea, you want to sell us a medallion. i paid 1.25 million to the cab companies over the last 20 years. how much is that worth? how much 20 years at my age is worth. no you guys come with another funny idea. 150 people give 150,000. how about risk? i'm 64 years old. how about my family? what are you guys going to do for these people? do you think you are a -- i am a father, husband, broither,a neighbor, good

person. what is going on with this corrupted city? i am a young man? 64 years old. what should i do? at 64 years old. start from scratch. can i make a payment? you tell me. are you guys american? are you guys american? cheating your neighbor? no, i don't think so. you guys are not american. [indiscernible] these people -- not communists. these are american people, hard-working people like me. 64 years old. plus 20 years my age, plus i

paid 1.2 million dollars to the cab companies. you think of -- like a little baby? this is not right. i don't know where you are coming from. the only difference is you work from sfmta. we are independent contractors. i have a daughter going to college. i have a son in college. what do you expect from me? you put pressure on me and that put pressure on my family? how can i go to my family, after 20 years, if i were younger, different story. (applause)

[indiscernible] >> good afternoon mr. chairman. my name is [indiscernible] on oct. 16 i spoke with you on the same subject. 17 years ago [indiscernible] there was no restriction, no regulation, no rule that i had to pay 150,000 for it. i have been working year after year, just as a cab driver. this is the only source of income i have, with the family in college kids. with the proposal i see, we have been taken so much beatings from everybody, the hotels, cab companies, side car, out of town cab, and yet

pay 150,000. first we cannot afford that. please, i am not going to speak anymore. i am asking you, kindly, do not pass this. just keep going. [indiscernible] thank you very much. >> next speaker please. [indiscernible] >> good afternoon lessons element. my name is jerry neehan. i came across a few words yesterday in a like to share with them. etched in stone in washington as the fdr memorial, part of roosevelt second inaugural

address. we make progress not by adding more to the abundance of those who have a lot, but whether we provide for those who have little. i ask that you keep that in mind as you worship your own mighty dollar and as you crucified and annihilate the san francisco cabdrivers. as far as i'm concerned you have stolen my life; my whole life revolved around getting that medallion. i promised my kids a better life is coming. what am i supposed to tell them now? i work for nothing. my life has been flushed down the drain. i don't care if i get into an accident when i get into that cab anymore. there is no hope. i could not give a damn about it to be honest with you. i have been kicked below the belt, stabbed on the back.

mr. nolan, when i was growing up until country i was surrounded by nolans. you have a great name. i babysat nolans, the first girl i ever kissed was a nolna. you have any decency, any irish in you you will restore hope. especially drivers on the list in their fifties and sixties. some of them can't change a lightbulb. our whole life has gone into this thanks a lot. (applause) >> i have two purposes of speaking, want to clarify the

details of the half-price medallion offer; the other is to implore the board to extend the offer to 300 rather than 150 applicants. each medallion moves 1.5 to 2 names; about 500 people can be brought into the fold if you allowed 300. your workers are your greatest asset. is consider forgoing the extra revenue you would get from sharing the other 150 medallions with these drivers and not forgo the goodwill of your workforce. also these people that we have gotten into the fold have proved that they can dodge accident and deal with the public; the previous speakerjerry is a perfect example. he is something like 400 on the

list. this is a career worker counting on this; it is not his fault. there are 1000 of us like myself who are either prop k -- and you will sell medallions for an extra 100,000 and make a total of 1 million dollars off that alone. [indiscernible] of course there is a lawsuit filed by the people who want to revert to prop k, they think that what we are doing is illegal. -- -- violations of federal law and no exit s